New ET Faculty Spotlight!

The
engineering technology network and number of colleges offering the statewide
A.S. degree in engineering has greatly expanded over the years. Since the
implementation of the program in 2007, the degree has been lauded as a model
program by the manufacturing institute and has been a winner of several state
and national awards. A core part of the program and its success hinges not only
on the framework, but also rests on faculty who ensure it is relevant and aligned
with local industry needs. The consortium of colleges offering the A.S.E.T
degree in 14 state and community colleges across Florida boasts of a
distinguished panel of qualified educators.

Joining
these ranks is Aubri Hanson, Ph.D., assistant professor of engineering technology
at Gulf Coast State

College (GCSC). Hanson has a B.S. and an M.S. degree in
Physics with a minor in electronics engineering and mathematics from the
University of Southern Mississippi. Prior to joining GCSC, Hanson worked
for Radiance Technologies doing research
on radiation detection and for NASA Stennis Space Center working on rocket
engine testing, vacuum systems, integrated system health management, and the
return to flight efforts after the space shuttle Columbia accident. She has
also worked on projects at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and NASA Kennedy
Space Center as a contractor including the Mars Simulation Chamber.

Having
transitioned into academia after 12 years in industry, Hanson has a good
understanding of what is required of students to be successful and help connect
what they are doing in the classroom to real jobs. “The foremost way our
courses prepare students for the workforce is by providing hands-on learning
experiences in addition to the traditional classroom lectures and textbook
learning” Hanson said. To keep content current and relevant, she maintains
contacts with industry and professional organizations like the International
Society for Automation (ISA) where Hanson currently serving as the Technical
Program Chair for the International Instrumentation Symposium and on the
Scholarship Committee. “Our industrial advisory committee keeps us in touch
with the needs of local industry and we have made several changes/additions in
our programs to accommodate their requests.”

At
GCSC she currently teaches Data Acquisition & Control Systems; LabVIEW
Instrumentation;

Control Systems Technology; Programmable Logic Controllers;
Process Control & Instrumentation; Introduction to Electronics; Digital
Electronics; Electronic Devices & Circuits, and several special projects
courses. Every single course has a lab associated with it where students
utilize hardware the same way they will see being used by industry. Hanson
makes every effort to ensure curriculum design is never stagnant and students
get to hear the voice of industry experts. “It is very important for me to
learn from the students, as well as teach them, in an effort to improve my
methods of instruction.”

Hanson
firmly believes any hard-working student can be successful in the ET program as
long as they have the “desire to learn and the willingness to apply themselves
in and out of the classroom.” She believes there are a variety of paths to
choose from in the A.S program and many certificate programs available to
customize the educational experience for each student based on their strengths,
needs, and interests.

For
more information on the engineering program at GCSC contact Aubri Hanson at ahanson@gulfcoast.edu, or at 850.769.1551. For information on the
statewide A.S.E.T degree visit www.madeinflorida.org,
or contact Dr. Marilyn Barger at barger@fl-ate.org.
Stay tuned also next month for an update on yet another ET faculty member at
Tallahassee Community College.

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Disclaimer

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation, under the following grant DUE# 1204751. "Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation."